MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Leveling the Playing Field Through Remote Work

The employment experience of working-age people with disabilities can only be described as challenging, complicated by countless barriers to accessibility and performance. Getting a job offer at all is a tall task. Employment rates for those with disabilities are roughly only one-third those for similar working-age individuals.1 From the first interview, candidates are faced with a challenging decision: Is it better to disclose one’s disability and need for accommodations during the interview (and if so, at what point in the process) or hold back until after accepting the job offer?

Legislation like the Americans With Disabilities Act has tried to create obligatory protections, but as the current employment rates show, it’s not a perfect solution. The law also leaves many areas open to interpretation, given that the accommodations requested must be considered “reasonable” and not cause undue hardship for the employer.

About the Author

Mason Ameri, Ph.D., is associate professor of professional practice, and Terri R. Kurtzberg, Ph.D., is professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School — Newark and New Brunswick.